CampusReport U N I V E R S I T Y O F DAY TO N Vol. 34, No. 5 / Jan. 5, 2007
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room with a view
news&notes
TREND Center hosts introductory session
The Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton will host an introductory session at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, in Science Center 114. Several faculty members will introduce and present posters on collaborative projects already under way, discuss future collaboration and provide information on the center’s mission and the future. A social will follow. All interested members of the UD community are invited. The TREND Center is part of the University’s commitment to pursue the growing area of bioengineering.
Start clearing the clutter; e-mail quota begins Feb. 1
A University e-mail quota policy, aimed at allocating server storage space more efficiently and cost-effectively, takes effect Feb. 1. Faculty and staff will be allotted 250 MB of server space for storage of sent and received email. When your mail file size reaches 225 MB, you will receive a warning message indicating that space should be cleared. Exceeding 250 MB will result in an e-mail “freeze.” You will not be able to send or receive e-mail until space is cleared. The full policy is available online at: http://udit.udayton.edu/policies.asp. An online repository for transmission of multiple or large attachments is available at http://attachments.udayton.edu. Directions are posted on the “help” link on the site. Online training for many mail management tasks is available at http://training .udayton.edu. Help with saving old mail offline and managing mail efficiently is also available through UDit. Call 229-3888 or e-mail pchelp@ notes.udayton.edu.
University Place signing retail tenants
University Place, the 60,000-square foot, mixed-used development at the corner of Brown and Stewart streets, expects several retailers to sign leases by February.
Johnnetta Cole to headline Martin Luther King Jr. events Johnnetta Betsch Cole, a human rights advocate and the only person to preside over two historically black colleges for women, will headline two community events honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy Jan. 15-16. Cole will address “How Must We Honor the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. annual holiday celebration and presidential banquet at the Mandalay Banquet Center, 2700 E. River Rd. Her appearance is a collaboration between the Dayton Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the University of Dayton’s Diversity Lecture Series. Tickets are $50. Call 268-0051 for more information. She also will headline UD’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the Kennedy Union ballroom. Tickets are $10 for faculty, staff and guests and $8 for students and may be ordered online at http://campus.udayton.edu/~ku/tickets/salenow.htm. Cole’s career as a professor and administrator spans more than three decades. She made history in 1987 by becoming the first African-American woman to serve as president of Spelman College. She also was the first person of color to chair the Board of United Way of America, a position she held from 2004 to 2006. Currently, she’s president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C., where she has revitalized the liberal arts school by erasing a deficit, restoring accreditation and boosting the endowment. When she steps down in 2007, she will chair the board of the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute at Bennett College named in her honor. Her work as a college professor and president, published works, speeches and community service consistently address issues of racial, gender and all other forms of discrimination. She’s the co-author of Gender Talk: The Struggle for Women’s Equality in African American Communities. In addition to 51 honorary degrees, Cole has received numerous awards including the TransAfrica Forum Global Public Service Award, the Radcliffe Medal, the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal, the 2001 Alexis deTocqueville Award for Community Service from United Way of America, the Award for Education presented at the 90th anniversary celebrations of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Joseph Prize for Human Rights presented by the Anti-Defamation League and the Uncommon Height Award from the National Council of Negro Women. She began her college studies at the age of 15 at Fisk University and completed her undergraduate degree at Oberlin College. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Northwestern University. She’s professor emerita of Emory University, where she retired as Presidential Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Women’s Studies and African American Studies.
In addition to an Arby’s restaurant, anticipated tenants include a bank, an upscale sandwich shop and a UD bookstore operation focused on selling merchandise, said Jason Woodard of the Miller-Valentine Group. The Miller-Valentine Group is developing, building and managing the property, and will own it in
partnership with the University. Woodard said the project is on pace to meet its target opening date of Aug. 1. He expects retail tenants will begin finishing their interior spaces in May and June. University Place will also include housing for 50 law or graduate students in apartments
Cover photo: Some of the 101 rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott at the University of Dayton offer riverfront views. See Page 3.
CampusReport Campus Report is printed on recyclable paper made from 10 percent post-consumer fiber.
Campus Report Jan. 5, 2007
Campus Report, distributed the first Friday of every month during the first two terms of the academic year, is published by the public relations office for University of Dayton faculty and staff. E-mail news digests are sent every Thursday. Deborah McCarty Smith, editor Larry Burgess, photographer Frank Pauer, designer
Campus mail: 1679 E-mail: campusreport@udayton.edu Phone: 229-3241; fax: 229-3063
for one or two occupants. Miller-Valentine will begin providing information on residential leasing to students this winter.
Payroll deduction available for RecPlex memberships
Faculty and staff may use payroll deduction to buy or renew RecPlex memberships and locker and towel service. Fees will be spread over five pays: two in February, two in March and the first pay in April. Employees may fill out the paperwork at the RecPlex office when they start or renew memberships. Renewals (without any changes) through payroll deduction may also be made by calling Teresa Galvin at 229-2762. For full-time faculty and staff, annual memberships are $150 for individuals and $250 for families.
Is your passport current?
Students, faculty and staff and their dependents may apply to obtain new passports or to renew current passports at a “passport fair” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, in the World Exchange, Alumni Hall 012. The Center for International Programs’ education abroad office is hosting the event. Details on costs and the documents needed to complete the application process can be found at http://international.udayton.edu/events/ passportfair.htm.
New Courtyard by Marriott, co-owned by UD, opening soon The new Courtyard by Marriott at the University of Dayton, a four-story, 101-room riverfront hotel co-owned by the University of Dayton, is expected to welcome its first guests in February. Adjacent to the UD Arena and Interstate 75, the Courtyard by Marriott hotel is the latest phase of the sports complex on Edwin C. Moses Boulevard and the first hotel development in the city in more than 20 years. Timothy J. O’Connell, director of UD Arena, said the new hotel includes upscale amenities geared to business travelers, a swimming pool, exercise facilities and meeting rooms. Many guest rooms offer dramatic views of the Great Miami River and Carillon Park. UD owns the hotel in partnership with Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co. of Raleigh, N.C. Concord, which constructed the hotel and will operate it, owns 43 hotels in 10 states and Canada. The multimillion-dollar Arena Sports Complex includes five athletic venues used by UD teams, including basketball and softball. The Arena has hosted national, regional and local events and tournaments; the new hotel is expected to increase the appeal of the site for sporting events. Grand opening ceremonies will be scheduled later in the year. Through April, reservations for the hotel can be made by contacting the hotel directly at 220-9060. After April, reservations will be accepted online at http://www.marriott.com or through the Marriott reservation line at 800-321-2211.
Rwandan musician Jean Paul Samputu headlines Human Rights Week Through a new visiting artist program, Rwandan musician and genoSamputu, who lost his mother, father, sister and three brothers in the cide survivor Jean Paul Samputu will share award-winning African music 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed nearly a million lives, works to and dance as well as his perspective on music, peace and forgiveness dureducate and raise awareness about genocide and advocates for peace and ing the University of Dayton’s Human Rights Week Jan. 28–Feb. 2. reconciliation, said Eileen Carr, Arts Series coordinator. Co-sponsored by UD’s Arts Series and Cityfolk as Samputu and Ingeli will also perform part of the World Rhythms Series, Samputu and his during the Celebration of Arts kick-off of dance troupe Ingeli will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Human Rights Week at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. Feb. 1, in Boll Theatre, with traditional African singing, 28, in Boll Theatre. This performance is drumming and dancing. Tickets are $18 for the public; free and open to the public. $9 for students; and $16 for seniors and UD faculty, Human Rights Week is organized by staff and alumni. To order tickets, call the UD box ofstudents to draw attention to global issues fice at 229-2545 or go to http://www.cityfolk.org. of social justice. A highlight of the week As the first World Rhythms Fellow, Samputu will will be a daylong Culture Builds Commualso speak to UD classes on Rwandan history, religion, nity workshop Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the East peace and music, as well as conduct dance and drumEnd Community Center, 624 Xenia Ave., ming workshops on campus and at the East End Com- World Rhythms Fellow Jean Paul Samputu will featuring classroom talks and after-school munity Center. activities. perform and share perspectives on peace during his Visiting artists designated as World Rhythms Winner of the 2003 Kora Award, conresidency. Fellows promote the arts as a way to develop culture sidered the “African Grammy,” Samputu and community that extends beyond traditional social and academic is internationally known for his mastery of many music styles including borders. The residency is sponsored by ArtStreet, Center for International soukous, rhumba, vodou, traditional Rwandan 5/8, Afrobeat, Pygmy and Programs, Arts Series and Cityfolk. gospel.
For more news, see http://universityofdayton.blogs.com/newsinfo/ Jan. 5, 2007 Campus Report
UDRI awarded $15 million Army contract for life-saving armor From improved armored vehicles and shelters to better body armor, the goal of a new five-year, $15 million Army contract to the University of Dayton Research Institute is to save lives. The program, sponsored by the Army Research Laboratory’s Survivability Branch, will use nanotechnology to address an immediate need for strong but lightweight armor for existing military vehicles, said UDRI research engineer Brian Rice, manager of the Army’s survivability systems program. In later stages, the program will foster the development of next-generation composite armor for land and air vehicles, body suits, shelters, cargo containers and more. “This is about saving lives. This is about protection systems,” Rice said. “We’re working with two Ohio companies to create a product that, if it tests out well, could show up in Iraq next year.” Those companies are TPI Composites in Springfield, which is developing an all-composite armored vehicle for the Army, and Armor Holdings Inc. of Fairfield, which creates and installs steel plates to armor the Army’s Humvees. “We are developing advanced composites materials to improve the performance of materials for TPI’s armored vehicle, and we’re working with Armored Holdings to create a composite armor package that will be even stronger than existing armor, but also lighter, to reduce the top weight of the ‘up-armored’ vehicle,” Rice said. “Composites burn, so we’ll include flame retardants in the materials to prevent them from burning.” Improved strength, weight and flame retardance will be especially beneficial in body armor, Rice added, making it easier to wear and far more protective. “Not only will this program help save lives, it will also save limbs — in the battlefield as well as at home. Improved body armor will be affordable enough to be used by firefighters, police and other law enforcement agencies, diplomats and others who need protection.” Materials advances in the survivability program are expected to be included in other applications — such as wind-turbine blades for energy harvesting; railroad car floors and bodies; truck, trailer and recreational vehicle bodies; shipping containers; shelters and more. In Ohio, the Army program will help boost economic development by leveraging Third Frontier-funded programs in nanomaterials development and commercialization to help create an industry supply chain for military and commercial applications, as well as supporting job creation in Ohio companies, Rice said.
Campus Report Jan. 5, 2007
Dick Beach, shown in the McGinnis Center, enjoys the relaxed atmosphere and the opportunities offered by UD’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Lifelong Learning Institute wins $1 million grant
Dick Beach, 76, loves to “sit and soak up the wisdom” in literature and history classes offered through the University of Dayton’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which he helped start a dozen years ago at his alma mater. “Here is an opportunity on an attractive university campus to get into subjects that have eluded us over the years — or that we didn’t apply ourselves to years ago,” said Beach, UD’s former director of public relations. “It’s a relaxed atmosphere, non-competitive, a sort of sit-and-soak-up the wisdom of peers or active or retired faculty members who are experts in their fields.” Beach’s enthusiasm for the program is one reason why its enrollment continues to soar — more than 1,450 students between the ages of 50 and 90-something enrolled in peer-led seminars last year, making it one of the most successful lifelong learning institutes in the country. It’s also why the San Francisco-based Bernard Osher Foundation has awarded it another $1 million for an endowment that will sustain its programming for older adults. UD is one of five university-based lifelong learning institutes to receive a second endowment. Other recipients include Duke University, the Osher Institutes at California State University at Sonoma, Kennesaw State University and the University of Hawaii. The foundation supports 93 university-based lifelong learning programs nationwide. In all, UD has received $2 million for an endowment and $250,000 in grants from the Osher Foundation since 2004. The money is used for operational support, including scholarships, a shuttle service and marketing materials. “Our institute has grown incredibly,” said Julie Mitchell, assistant dean for special programs and continuing education at UD. “When we launched the institute in 1994, for many people, it was a dream deferred. Many had not gone to college and saw this as their opportunity to participate in higher education. For others, it’s been the opportunity to go
‘Here is an opportunity on an attractive university campus to get into subjects that have eluded us over the years — or that we didn’t apply ourselves to years ago.’
back to school and learn all the things they never had a chance to learn.” And without the pressure: Students don’t take tests or write term papers. The teachers are volunteers and include retired professors, community leaders or anyone with a passion or expertise in a topic. The 34 seminars that will be offered during the winter term, which begins Jan. 8, range from Middle East politics and Shakespeare’s plays about Henry V to lighter fare, such as tap dance taught by Sharon Leahy, artistic director of Rhythm in Shoes. An $80 registration fee allows students
to attend an unlimited number of seminars, most of which are held in the McGinnis Center, a converted former elementary school in the student neighborhood. Most classes meet once a week for either four or eight weeks. On the curriculum front, Mitchell and a 25-member volunteer board and five advisers are brainstorming ways to meet the educational desires of the baby boomers, a segment of the U.S. population estimated at 78.2 million. They’re examining shorter courses, Saturday classes, more wellness topics and service-learning opportunities through UD’s Fitz Center for Leadership in Community.
“This is the generation that started Habitat for Humanity. They want to continue to be involved in service,” Mitchell said. For Beach, it’s all about lifelong learning. “I think when the undergraduates see us on campus, still pursuing learning, they understand you can’t learn it all in four or five years, that it takes literally a lifelong process to learn and to continue to learn.” Winter classes run Jan. 8 – Feb. 19. For a brochure, call 229-2347. Participants can register by mail, fax at 229-3500 or online at http://peopleware.net/2394. Deadline for registration is Jan. 8.
UD receives $28 million Third Frontier award; grant will boost sensor research The Ohio Third Frontier Commission proposed through UDRI’s Center for Mulhas awarded a $28 million state grant to the tifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and University of Dayton and a host of partner Devices, or CMPND. One project focuses on organizations to establish the Institute for commercializing functional polyimide films Development and Commercialization of (high-performance polymers) and nanocomAdvanced Sensor Technology. IDCAST will posites, which can be used in flexible elecinclude a facility to house academic, industry and federal labs and will be the anchor tenant for Dayton’s Tech Town development. The purpose of IDCAST is to create jobs in Ohio through partnerships among government, industry and academia that boost sensor technology research, development and commercialization taking place locally and across the state. “IDCAST is projected to have a $238.3 million eco- Leah Makley, a second-year chemistry major from Troy, Ohio, works nomic impact in Ohio and with sensor research in a UDRI lab, measuring a ruthenium metal create 364 high-paying complex under UV light to explore photo chemical reactions. jobs within eight years,” tronics; flexible, self-powered LCD displays; said Larrell Walters, director of technology high-strength barrier films; and aerospace partnerships at the University of Dayton and biomedical products. The second is for Research Institute. Walters drafted the proposal to the Third Frontier Commission with next-generation structural products in energy, transportation and security industries to Joseph Haus, chair of UD’s electro-optics help Ohio develop sustainable competitive department; Jay Johnson, a senior research advantages in energy generation and savings, scientist and group leader of chemical and ballistics protection and fire resistance. biological sensors; and Karolyn Hansen, a The IDCAST proposal builds on existing UD research scientist. Ohio strengths. The U.S. Air Force Research Additionally, UDRI will receive up to Laboratory Sensors Directorate at Wright$4 million in Third Frontier grants for Patterson Air Force Base, the University of two research commercialization projects
Dayton, Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, University of Toledo, Miami University and Wright State University all have leadership positions in areas of sensor technology. Industry players include Woolpert Inc., General Dynamics, UES, YSI Inc., and L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics. “Advanced sensor technologies will prove crucial to national defense and the global war on terror,” said Joe Sciabica, director, AFRL Sensors Directorate. “IDCAST provides an essential framework for bringing together the technologies, innovations and collaborations needed to develop, integrate and deliver this capability for defense, homeland security and commercial applications.” Commercial leaders will be able to take improvements directly from the lab to the market and immediately impact their ability to serve their customers. “After reviewing the areas of technology within IDCAST’s framework, we see an exciting opportunity to dramatically improve the operational effectiveness of our products and services in the very near term,” said Shane Imwalle, vice president of business development at Woolpert. The IDCAST facility is anticipated to be approximately 20,000 square feet. “The city of Dayton deserves a lot of credit for helping IDCAST get off the ground and solidifying its long-term success,” Walters said. “IDCAST is about collaboration, so it is fitting that the collaborative efforts of academia, industry, federal labs and local government are at the foundation of its creation.”
Jan. 5, 2007 Campus Report
Enrollment management VP drawn to UD’s Marianist mi “I felt that immediate sense of connection.” That’s why Sundar Kumarasamy didn’t hesitate when offered the vice president for enrollment management position in December — even though he had just turned down two similar offers at other universities. “Your heart connects,” he told the President’s Council at a lunch in November during three days of interviews and conversations on campus. “The University of Dayton’s source of excellence stems from the Marianist mission. Learning and service go hand in hand. This is a comprehensive national university with a solid grounding in mission and educational philosophy.” During a 12-year stint at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, most recently as assistant provost for enrollment management, he helped to change dramatically the Jesuit university’s student profile. Applications increased 223 percent from 2,791 to 9,020, with minority applications nearly tripling. Minority students now make up a record 13 percent of SJU’s first-year class. At the same time, selectivity increased following an acceptance rate that dipped from 80 percent to 55 percent. He extended the geographic reach of the university, expanding out-of-state applicants to 65 percent and opening satellite admission offices in Chennai, India, and Singapore. “The students we’ve attracted from Asia have bolstered the university’s sagging enrollment in graduate computer science and brought invaluable global perspective to our campus community,” he said. “I’m most proud of the difference I made at Saint
Joseph’s in terms of diversity. We started the United Scholars Program to increase the number of students of color from low-income families. I collaborated closely with partners in other areas of the university to implement strong academic and co-curricular support services to better ensure student retention.” Kumarasamy, a 39-year-old native of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, the southern-most state in India, is a strong proponent of internationalization. “An international presence will truly prepare the future generation to live in our global society much more peacefully,” he said. “They are the ambassadors.” A Hindu who attended parochial elementary school in India, Kumarasamy intends to market UD more boldly Sundar Kumarasamy intends as one of to market UD more boldly as the nation’s one of the nation’s pre-eminent pre-eminent Catholic universities. Catholic universities. “That’s what sets the University of Dayton apart. When institutions are struggling to find their identity in the name of branding, UD has a strong core that has stood the test of time. Adaptation and change are part of the mission itself. It will never become stagnant. It doesn’t offer educa-
tion for the sake of education itself. It’s how you put it to use in serving others.” That’s why UD’s mission resonates with Kumarasamy. “What excites me most about UD is that spiritual focus. The world needs people with morals, people who can make decisions with their conscience. It won’t be technology or medicine that will change the
‘When institutions are struggling to find their identity in the name of branding, UD has a strong core that has stood the test of time.’
Father Cyprian Davis, historian of black American Catholics, to receive Mariani A leading scholar on the history of black American Catholics, Father Cyprian Davis, O.S.B., is the winner of this year’s Marianist Award. He will receive the award and deliver a public lecture at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 1, in the Kennedy Union ballroom. Davis serves as professor of church history at Saint Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana. In 1991 he won the John Gilmary Shea Award from the American Catholic Historical Association for his book, The History of Black Catholics in the United States, a work which Publishers Weekly labeled “groundbreaking research” and “a chronicle both sad and inspiring.”
Campus Report Jan. 5, 2007
The Catholic Church in the United States was not a leader for the emancipation of slaves. But the Catholic emphasis on the dignity of the person merges with the sense of dignity found in the history of black Catholics, according to Father Paul Marshall, S.M., rector of the University. Marshall says that Davis’ tell-
ing of those worlds merging is “a living story of freedom.” Davis himself, Marshall says, has a “presence. He carries the sacred with him. You can see God within him.” A Benedictine monk for more than half a century, Davis serves as archivist for Saint Meinrad Archabbey as well as for the SwissAmerican Benedictine Congregation and the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus. Holding a doctorate in history from the University of Louvain in Belgium, Davis has been a visiting professor at several African institutions and also regularly teaches black Catholic history at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at
world. It will be people who care about other people.” Administrators walked away from conversations with Kumarasamy as impressed with his sincerity and spirituality as with a résumé of accomplishments that include skills in marketing, financial aid management and leveraging and, in his words, “a high tolerance for analyzing large volumes of data.” He’s an engineer by training who immigrated to the United States in 1991 to earn an M.S. in instructional technology from Philadelphia University before finding his calling in the world of higher education admission 25 years ago. “He’s a bright leader who brings an impressive record of success, a good understanding of our mission, and considerable energy and focus that he will apply in achieving success in our enrollment goals,” said Fred Pestello, provost and senior vice president for educational affairs. Kumarasamy will move to Dayton early this year with his wife Mallika Gopal, an entomologist, and 5-year-old daughter, Malvika. He’s looking forward to working with the staff and faculty in telling UD’s story to prospective students. “I was so amazed to learn that faculty spend close to 4,000 hours a year in studentrecruitment efforts. I’ve never seen that level of commitment before,” he said. “The personal attention starts at the prospective student level. It’s not just in the classroom. These students will take away a lifelong connection to the faculty.” —Teri Rizvi
ist Award Xavier University in New Orleans. He served on the subcommittee for the preliminary drafts of the bishops’ pastoral letter Brothers and Sisters to Us (1979) and the black bishops’ pastoral letter What We Have Seen and Heard (1984). Each year, the University of Dayton presents the Marianist Award, one of its highest honors, to a Roman Catholic whose work has contributed to the intellectual life. Theologians, philosophers, historians, anthropologists, scholars and critics are among those who have received the Marianist Award and discussed the relationship of their faith to their professional work.
Marianist heritage celebrations under way
mission
Marianist heritage celebrations get under way this month and continue through February with events planned for faculty, staff and students. Activities include: Tuesday, Jan. 9 “The Marianist Brothers and Sisters,” presented by Father Paul Marshall, S.M. Noon, Kennedy Union 331. Open lunch invitation, seating limited. R.S.V.P. required: Rector’s office, 229-2409. Wednesday, Jan. 10 Adèle Celebration 4:30 p.m., Immaculate Conception Chapel. Vespers Service led by the Daughters of Mary. Reception to follow in the Kennedy Union Torch Lounge. A food drive for the Catholic Social Services food bank will take place Jan. 8-12 in the Kennedy Union lobby. Wednesday, Jan. 17 Beyond UD panel supper 5:30 p.m., Kennedy Union 222. Post-graduate volunteers will speak about service beyond UD and mission opportunities. R.S.V.P. by Jan. 12 to the Center for Social Concern, 229-2524. Friday, Jan. 19 Marianist speaker: Father Patrick Tonry, S.M. 3-4 p.m., Kennedy Union Torch Lounge. Reception to follow. Monday, Jan. 22 Chaminade Day celebration Hot chocolate, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Humanities Plaza and Kennedy Union Plaza. Chaminade Day Masses, noon and 5 p.m., Immaculate Conception Chapel. Potluck dinner, 6:30 p.m., McGinnis Center. All are welcome. Please bring a dish if you can. Wednesday, Jan. 24 Family FeUD 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Kennedy Union ballroom. Free food, drinks, door prizes, Marianist and UD history. Thursday, Feb. 1 Marianist Award presentation Recipient: Father Cyprian Davis, O.S.B. 4:30 p.m., Kennedy Union ballroom. Monday, Feb. 5 An illuminated Madonna and Multicultural Rosary Child sculpture, installed by the 4:30 p.m., ArtStreet amphitheatre. facilities management staff in time Sponsored by the Student for the Christmas season, graces Government Association. the “penthouse” on the north side Wednesday, Feb. 7 of College Park Center. “What It Means to be the University Professor of Faith and Culture,” presented by Father Jack McGrath, S.M. Noon, Kennedy Union 310. Open lunch invitation, seating limited. R.S.V.P. required: Rector’s office, 229-2409. Friday, Feb. 9 Lackner Award dinner (by invitation only) Recipients: Amy Lopez and Steven Mueller
Jan. 5, 2007 Campus Report
take a break with…
When you retired from campus ministry in 2005, you planned to spend the winter in New Zealand working on an organic farm, preferably a sheep farm, in exchange for room and board. How did that work out? It didn’t meet my fantasy expectation. It was more like living as a migrant worker rather than a cultural exchange. At the first place, “farm” should have been in quotations. It was just a hodgepodge of a few pigs and a little garden. The Web site promised a developing school to teach kids about organic farming and English as a second language, but it wasn’t a school, just a half-completed building with no electricity or running water where I stayed with four Japanese men, two Germans, a Swede and a Belgian. The next place was a cattle farm where I worked to re-do a fence line. You also traveled to Argentina, Chile and Vietnam to visit with Marianist laypeople and UD alumni. What was that like? Vietnam was a highlight. I traveled with Robin Means (husband of UD alumna Ann Hudock), who works for the World Bank, to visit poverty-reduction projects among the Hmong people in the highlands. It was refreshing to see the World Bank building small-scale projects — roads, irrigation and water delivery systems, school buildings — not dams or highways. What did you learn on your sabbatical? I like to plan more than I like to do. I learned how much I enjoy community and other people. I also learned that the world is highly organized. It’s amazing what we could do if we could just get organized for the good; we’d have the Kingdom on Earth, for sure. It was a good opportunity to notice the culture of the developed world is pretty homogenized. The songs on the radio, the shows on television, the products in the stores are all the same. It’s kind of disappointing. So now that you’ve tried your hand at
FILE PHOTO 2005
Phil Aaron, S.M. Great expectations
retirement, you’re back on campus working part time for the School of Engineering. What’s your title? It’s coordinator of service learning. I’m working with the ETHOS (Engineers in Technical, Humanitarian Opportunities of Service Learning) program. The dean has high expectations for me to put the School of Engineering at the service of the Marianist world. In addition to sending UD engineering students to work with technical partners in developing countries where there’s a Marianist presence, we’ll be inviting people from all over to take advantage of technical education at UD. We’re unique in the Marianist world in that we have this high-level technical training that is needed and desired in many places. What has the response been? This year 25 engineering students (up from 15 in previous years) have applied for interna-
‘I learned how much I enjoy community and other people. I also learned that the world is highly organized. It’s amazing what we could do if we could just get organized for the good.’
Campus Report Jan. 5, 2007
tional service learning opportunities that range from developing village water systems in Cameroon to expanding solar cooker technology in Bolivia. Other opportunities are available in Nicaragua, Mexico and Peru. There’s a growing movement among engineers to serve the less developed world, and plans for a UD student chapter of Engineers without Borders are under way. What can engineering students learn from international service-learning projects? They don’t really understand appropriate technology until they experience a developing country. They find out what they assumed to be universal is not. A large part of the world gets along very happily with a much lower level of technology than students are used to. What are you doing in your spare time? I play trombone in the concert and the jazz band sections of the UD-sponsored New Horizons Band for people over 55 who once played a musical instrument or want to learn to play one. I am also promoting smdialogue, an attempt to get the members of the Society of Mary to talk on the Internet about the future of religious life in the U.S.A. As in all of life, halfway through the dialogue is not too successful, as yet.
David Darrow Guiding global citizens International study and experience rank high on the list of interests for a growing number of University of Dayton students. David Darrow, director of the international studies and human rights programs, wants to help students plan how to turn those interests into reality and internationalize their education. Darrow, in collaboration with the languages department and Center for International Programs, is developing opportunities for students to consider how an experience abroad connects to their course work on campus and their plans for the future. This term he and Amy Anderson, Center for International Programs director, are piloting two minicourse series — an introduction to international experience and a pre-departure course. More than 50 students have enrolled in the introductory course designed to acquaint them with international education opportunities — abroad and on campus. “The main task is to help students come up with a plan to internationalize their education and figure out how to pay for it and how to structure their curriculum on campus,” he said. The associate professor of history has first-hand experience to share. He took part in a summer Russian language study program in the U.S.S.R. as an undergraduate and was an exchange student in Russia while earning his doctorate. Darrow anticipates that UD’s multidisciplinary international studies program, in which 139 students are currently enrolled, has room to grow. The program draws students with wide-ranging international interests — from the arts to global development, human rights, business and immigration. The international studies curriculum currently offers concentrations in areas such as Europe, Latin America, human rights, global development, and peace and global security. He plans to assess the effectiveness and possibly restructure the area studies approach. Darrow would like to explore new questions — for example, global sustainability, an interest among faculty and students. He also believes a program or concentration in Islamic studies could benefit the University. “If I had a big pot of money, I would
complement the University’s beginning Arabic language courses by having an Islamicist in religious studies and a specialist in the Islamic world in humanities or social sciences. Those positions complement other programs on campus,” he said. He would also like to see more international studies majors engage with the women’s and gender studies program and the Africana studies program. Darrow, who joined the UD faculty in 1996, said he has been “impressed by the caliber, curiosity and enthusiasm” of international studies majors as well as by the consistent commitment of the faculty involved. He takes the director’s job as the program marks the 25th anniversary of graduating its first student. Alumni of the international studies program have become global citizens, he said. “They’re everywhere from teaching Spanish in public schools to working at NGOs and major corporations. Quite a few of them are involved in service.” Darrow hopes to reconnect with alumni of the program when he leads a Russian river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in late summer or early fall 2007. “It’s an opportunity to see a part of the world everybody knows about but is not necessarily familiar with,” he said. The program is open to all alumni. Darrow hopes that international studies graduates as well as alumni who have taken part in any international program will see the trip as opportunity to relive those experiences and reconnect. “One of the beautiful things about this job and the international studies major is that it makes you realize how connected all the disciplines are to the rest of the world,” he said. “This major provides the opportunity for students to make connections.”
More than 50 students have enrolled in the introductory course designed to acquaint them with international education opportunities — abroad and on campus.
Jan. 5, 2007 Campus Report
take a break with…
Leslie Picca
‘Two-faced racism’ research finds widespread racist language, attitudes among white college students in private Leslie Picca, an assistant professor of soof students’ interactions with other students, ciology who surveyed hundreds of white colat work and in their homes. Students reported lege students nationwide, found that harsh incidents and conversations involving differracist language, the use of the “n-word” and ent generations, genders and socio-economic racial stereotypes occur commonly when groups. whites are alone. Picca said the majority of the students “What I found was there is a profound were traditional college-age, 18 to 25, aldifference between the frontstage — when though older students were included. whites are with people of color — and the She said she backstage — when they are with other was particularly whites,” Picca said. interested in this age In what is perceived to be the safe backgroup because they stage among whites, Picca said she found grew up in the that “racist comments and jokes are not only ordinary, but are often tolerated, encouraged and even expected.” Racially based joking is t profesLeslie Picca, assistan especially prevalent and is nt “The ese pr ll wi sor of sociology, regarded as “part of the fun,” es’ hit W on er nd she said, which makes it difImpact of Ge s” at on cti era Int l cia Ra ficult for many whites to stop Everyday Alu in mni it or even object to it. noon Tuesday, Jan. 9, tion is part nta Picca’s research will be Hall 212. Her prese Research for ium released this spring in a book of UD’s Colloqu er. nd Ge d written with Texas A&M Union Women an Two-Faced versity professor Joe R. Feagin Picca is co-author of ckstage titled Two-Faced Racism: Whites Racism: Whites in the Ba blished by pu in the Backstage and Frontstage, and Frontstage to be She studied g. rin and issued by Routledge PubRoutledge this sp ite college lishing. the journals of 626 wh and found The findings are based on her post-civil rights students nationwide e, the use ag gu analysis of written journals kept era when racial lan ist rac , rsh ha that by 626 white college students racial stereodiscrimination d an ” ord -w “n the of s ite wh en wh from a variety of colleges and became unacly on types occur comm the in universities nationwide in 2002ceptable and are s ite wh n he are alone. W of color, 03. wider integrale op pe th wi e,” ag “frontst ind Picca said her research is tion of minori-bl lor co they affect tolerant, significant because earlier research ties occurred in behavior. based on surveys and interviews communities as indicated that the U.S. might be well as in the media. becoming more tolerant because whites “This is a new generation who grew up reported declining racist attitudes. watching The Cosby Show. They have the “I wanted to go one step further and find belief that racism isn’t a problem anymore out what was going on when a researcher so the words they use and the jokes they tell was not present,” she said. aren’t racist,” she said. The journals offered first-person accounts “These are white, educated students — the
Does gender affect whites’ ? racial interactions
10 Campus Report Jan. 5, 2007
kind of people we generally believe are less racist. It was heartbreaking, just heartbreaking, to see how frequent, how common and how harshly these racial stereotypes are being perpetuated,” she said. Other findings included: n The use of the “n-word” is prevalent among white students in the backstage settings. One student reported hearing the word 27 times in a single day. n There is the belief that a person is not racist if their behavior or words doesn’t physically harm or isn’t heard by a person of color. n Whites “protect” the backstage area by using whispers, code words and vague language to avoid being heard by people of color. n White women are more likely to object to racist language and jokes but may face insults or ill treatment for such objections. n Racial and ethnic stereotypes are highly durable; students are using the same language and labels commonly used for centuries. In view of her research, Picca said she was surprised by the recent use of the “n-word” by stand-up comic Michael Richards — not because he used it, but because it was in a frontstage setting. “The way whites talk about racial issues hasn’t changed over the past 40 to 60 years. It has just changed forms,” she said. “People argue that the ‘n-word’ no longer has racial meaning, but it’s very common and very prevalent and they do seem to know the racial significance of it.” —Cilla Shindell
Frozen funnel cakes?
Five teams of entrepreneurs advance in business plan competition
Ever crave a tasty funnel cake, but the carnival has left town? Jim Croghan, a junior entrepreneurship, finance and operations management major, brainstormed the idea for Carnival Cakes, a company that produces frozen versions, during a high school graduation party. He and friend Greg Leibach, an art design major at Knox College in Galesberg, Ill., want to bring the fair fare into the grocery store frozen foods section. “As far as funnel cakes go, I love them. There is something about their crispy warm sweetness that just makes me happy inside,” he told judges during the two-minute “elevator pitch” portion of UD’s first Business Plan Competition. Judges bit on the idea, selecting it and four other new business ideas as finalists in the Business Plan Competition. The winning teams will develop full business plans for a March presentation and continue competing for $10,000 in prize money. Other winners include: n Get Quick, computerized sports agility trainers, by junior business majors Vince Pecoraro and Steven Kreiger, and Andy Harmon, a former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle who lives in Centerville, Ohio; n Gelatoria, Italian Gelato, by entrepreneurship major Rachel Pleiman; n Residential Retrofitting and Care, home renovation for the elderly, by junior business major Timothy Miller; and n Life Stories Funboxes, a technological scrapbook, by law students Adrian King and George Limbert. The UD School of Business Administration launched the competition to help teach entrepreneurship and give students a leg up in the job market. In all, 21 teams made elevator pitches. Carnival Cakes and Gelatoria came in first and fourth in this portion of the contest. Two other teams, Go Sustainable Energy and Contractor Concierge, didn’t make the final cut but placed second and third with their
elevator pitches. “Winning a business plan competition is an excellent line to add to a résumé,” said Jay Janney, assistant professor of management and competition coordinator. “Perfecting an elevator pitch provides a useful skill, particularly in a tight job market where firms have to make snap judgments on who to invite back for full interviews. This was a wonderful scrub opportunity for anyone with a business idea to test it out well in advance of committing any capital to it.” Janney said 30 percent of the competitors aren’t majoring in business. These included students from the schools of law and engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as alumni and community members who paired with students to make the pitch. The finalists will begin working on business plans, with the goal of having the production process, marketplace analysis, marketing plan and funding strategy in a document teams can use to secure additional funding for their ventures. They will meet with mentors from local businesses. The mentors are Dan O’Donnell, senior vice president-commercial lending, National City Bank; Mike Farrell, president and CEO, Farrell Aviation Co.; John Lee, chief financial officer, the Siebenthaler Co.; Dave Mellin, senior vice president-commercial lending, Fifth Third Bank; and Greg Popham, 2003 UD entrepreneurship graduate and product manager, BlueStar Inc. “The Business Plan Competition is a way to teach entrepreneurship,” said Dean McFarlin, chair of the management and marketing department and the NCR Professor of Global Leadership Development. “We’re trying to teach students how to differentiate themselves from others and stand out. When you actually have to make an elevator speech in front of an audience and compete for real money, it raises the stakes.”
noteworthy
‘Winning a business plan competition is an excellent line to add to a résumé.’
Herbert Martin’s eighth volume of poetry just published Herbert Woodward Martin’s eighth volume of poetry, Inscribing My Name: New, Used and Repossessed Poems, was published Jan. 3 by Kent State University Press. “Herbert Woodward Martin’s body of poetry over the past five decades is, in many ways, matched by no one else,” according to the publisher. “His many poetic voices range from quiet lyrics to angry protest poems, from groundbreaking counterpoint structures to prize-winning historical narratives.” About a quarter of the book is filled with new poetry. The remainder are ones that “stood up over the last two or three decades. They had great power. So, I repossessed them,” said Martin, UD’s poet in residence. “I hope this book represents the best of my work.”
Martin, 73, takes new liberties in the book. “In the really new poems I take a lot more risks than I would have done in the beginning of my career. The poems are certainly freer and less constricted,’’ he said. “A few are very experimental.” Early reviews call the poetry “innovative” and “wide-ranging” with pieces that capture life in the Midwest. Martin continues to perform Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poetry — despite efforts to step away from the spotlight after the recent centennial
marking Dunbar’s death. On New Year’s Eve, he narrated the third movement of William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American’’ with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. He read “An Ante-bellum Sermon.” The symphony is based on four of Dunbar’s poems. Martin, who is teaching a course in African-American literature at UD this term, hints that he’s ready to leave the classroom and devote his days to writing poetry. “This is the swan song. I’m going to take myself home and sit at the typewriter and compose. I have lots of ideas,’’ he said. Jan. 5, 2007 Campus Report 11
comingattractions
Monday, Jan. 15
Martin Luther King Jr. Day University offices closed. No day classes. Monday-only classes that meet at 4:30 p.m. and after will be held.
Tuesday, Jan. 16
Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast 7:30 a.m. Kennedy Union ballroom Speaker: Johnnetta B. Cole. Tickets are $10 for faculty, staff and guests and $8 for students and may be ordered online at http://campus.udayton.edu/~ku/tickets/ salenow.htm.
Friday, Jan. 19 Sunday, Jan. 21
Alumni Winter Weekend Events include student and alumni dinner on Friday ($12); pep rally and men’s basketball game on Saturday ($20); lunch, Donoher Center tour and women’s basketball game on Sunday ($8). Call the Alumni House at 229-3294 by Jan. 12 to order tickets.
Monday, Jan. 22
Last day to change first term grades
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Last day to withdraw without record Family FeUD 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Kennedy Union ballroom Part of Marianist heritage celebrations. See schedule, Page 7.
Friday, Jan. 26 Faculty meeting 3 p.m., Boll Theatre
Thursday, Feb. 1
Marianist Award presentation 4:30 p.m., Kennedy Union ballroom 12 Campus Report Jan. 5, 2007
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Recipient: Father Cyprian Davis, O.S.B. Jean Paul Samputu and Ingeli World Rhythms Series 8 p.m., Boll Theatre Tickets are $18 for the public; $9 for students; and $16 for seniors and UD faculty, staff and alumni. Call the UD box office at 2292545 or go to http://www.cityfolk.org.
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater takes stage with giant masks, puppets in La Cosecha/The Harvest, a farm worker’s tale
A mix of dramatic techniques comes to the University of Dayton at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, in Boll Theatre as the Arm-of-the-Sea Theater offers a multimedia production of La Cosecha/The Harvest. Presented in English and Spanish and featuring large, bold and colorful masks, puppets and live music, the play tells the story of a young Mexican immigrant facing injustice and modern-day slavery as a farm worker in America. Styled as “magical realism,” the production incorporates ancient theater methods in following farmer Cesar as he is forced to leave his Mexican village in order to find work in the north. Arm-of-the-Sea Theater, a company based in Saugerties, N.Y., uses visual storytelling to explore the interconnection of human communities and how the health of human communities affects the environment. The five-member troupe tours the eastern United States in a bus powered by bio-diesel — a fuel made from vegetable oil — and has performed in venues that include Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Institution and the American Museum of Natural History. All tickets are $5. To order tickets, call the UD box office at 229-2545 or go to http://artseries.udayton.edu. The performance is part of the University of Dayton’s Arts Series and will close the University’s observation of Human Rights Week.